Indian Epics Blog

I used to have a bad habit of keeping open too many tabs, but I learned that it can slow down browsing and make it difficult to work more efficiently. I also found myself distracted with so many tabs open, so it's important to keep it limited. If you struggle with it (like me!), I found that this extension for Google Chrome helps me stop using so many tabs. Let me know if this helps!

I began my Wikipedia trail on Indra in order to learn more about the god. Indra was mentioned as bowing down to Krishna, and I was curious to see how powerful the god was. Indra is an ancient deity in Hinduism, and his role parallels other Indo-European deities, such as Zeus, Thor, and Jupiter. He's considered the king of heaven, lightning, thunder, storms, and rain. He's celebrated for his powers and his defeat of evil, which is represented by Vritra. The article mentioned that Indra is worshiped by the Kalasha religion, which led me to the second Wikipedia page on the Kalash people . The Kalash people are the smallest ethnoreligious group in Pakistan and practice a religion that's classified as ancient Hinduism. They're considered an indigenous group to Asia, with their ancestors migrating from the Chitral valley. The neighboring group once practiced a culture similar to the Kalash people, and they were called the Nuristani people in Afghanistan. This led me to my th...

 Does Grammar Matter? The video also brought up an important point about how speech evolves language, and how positions of power dictated how language is spoken. I never knew that the standardized way of writing was pushed by those in power, but it does make sense. It's interesting to see how descriptivism and prescriptivism analyze language in unique, important ways. I've actually never considered the role of grammar in a global context, but my language classes have pointed out how irregular sentence structures can be. For example, I'm currently learning Latin, and verbs and subjects can be placed wherever in a sentence, with adjectives following the noun. This is in stark contrast with English. As a result, I can see why these rules can make English difficult to learn. The video also teaches of the divide within linguistics between the two fields. Prescriptivism considers the language to follow a consistent set of rules and standards, while descriptivism see variation an...

  These reading notes are over Part B of Epified: Krishna , which is made by Epified. Plot Notes:  I really enjoy the consistent detail that Krishna proves his divinity, strength, and creativity to not only humans but also the gods. First, Krishna showed his strength and divinity to Indra, the god of gods. Now, Krishna was able to show his divine nature and importance to Brahma, god of creation. It was an interesting story as well, and it might connect back to the notion of Maya, which is what my project is about. Since Brahma saw all was Krishna, it can show the objective, unchanging reality is beyond the physical world with the copies of cows and people kidnapped by Brahma. I really enjoyed this tale and found it very interesting to consider on a broader context. The story of Krishna and Hastin was also very powerful. The message that kindness is the greatest strength is really meaningful, and small details say a lot about how important kindness is. For example, I liked that...

  The neon lights shined bright on the dark alleyways of Haste City. The Pandava brothers shielded themselves from the lights as they snuck through the winding backstreets, dodging and weaving to avoid anyone in their way. As they approached a metal door, they heard the clanking and crashing characteristic of bot fighting, an outlawed sport. Their head engineer, Arjuna, took the lead and knocked the secret code. Three hard knocks, followed by two soft ones. Soon, the metal door creaked open, and the men entered in the room.   Bot fighting was known to be ruthless, with unimaginable riches ready for the taking. The stakes were high, and the competition was fierce. But everyone knew of the Pandava brothers and their amazing feats; their robots were known far and wide to be the very best in Haste City. Arjuna led the brothers, and was taught by their mentor and guru, Drona, who retired years before from bot fighting. Since bot fighting was illegal, the Panda...

 I began my Wikipedia Trail on the page for astras , or super-weapons, as I read up on them when posting comments for feedback on various projects. It was a really interesting read, with astras representing super-weapons possessed by deities and containing special powers that could cause huge impacts. It's claimed that Arjuna had more astras than any other warrior. One of the weapons that caught my attention was the Trishula, which belonged to Shiva, the destroyer. It's considered the most powerful weapon according to Shiavism. I was interested to learn more about Shiavism , and this led me to my second Wikipedia page. This is one of the major Hindu traditions that worships Lord Shiva, and it's considered to be one of the oldest religions in the world. It was developed as a pre-Aryan religion and was later incorporated. Archaeological discoveries show how ancient it was, with seals similar to Lord Shiva found in the Indus Valley civilization. One of these seals was the Pash...

These reading notes are over Part B of Epified: Mahabharata , which is made by Epified.  Plot Notes:  This part of the Mahabharata is when the Pandava brothers begin to take the spotlight and develop. We see their characters as well as their strengths and capabilities, but I like how the narrative doesn't necessarily equate divine powers to moral goodness. For example, Arjun is seen as disciplined and a divine warrior, but his arrogance and drive for power caused his guru to do a great injustice to Ekalayva. My favorite parts of the story is Drona's introduction, training of the Pandavas, and the eventual cruelty and injustice done to Ekalayva. Drona's skills and amazing powers are recognized immediately when Arjun senses something special about him, and he proves his capabilities when he recovers the ball from the well. The training shows how each brother is specialized and plays to their own unique strengths. They are all great warriors, but they all take different forms...

 These reading notes are over Part A of Epified: Mahabharata , which is made by Epified. Plot Notes: It's always nice to refresh yourself on such an engaging and expansive story like the Mahabharata, and these videos reminded me that there is so many different factors building up in the narrative. All characters hold importance at some point, including the author himself. There's so many stories to pick from that it can be a bit difficult to choose just one to re-tell. I think I'm going to re-tell Amba's Ruin, as it was a concise story with a defined beginning and end. I'm still unsure if I will shift the details around or try to expand on specific parts, such as the dialogue, but I do enjoy the story. If I want to completely re-tell the story, I'll keep the central plot of revenge and an epic battle in place, but I'd try to make it in a futuristic setting with a battle arena. Furthermore, rather than Amba asking the sage to fight Bhishma, Amba herself could...

I began my Wikipedia trail on Ganesha , as I was reading up on the deity when providing feedback on projects. Ganesha is one of the most well-known and widely worshiped deities in Hinduism, and his characteristic elephant head makes him easy to spot. His image is found across South Asia, from India to Bangladesh as well as in countries with large Indian populations, such as Trinidad. The article mentioned principal texts on Ganesha and included the Ganesha Purana , which led me to my second Wikipedia page.Ganesha Purana is the primary text on Ganesha and includes a range of information from yoga, theology, geology, cosmology, philosophy, and others. The text was estimated to be written in the medieval period during Islamic rule in South Asia, and it was a time of political turmoil. More specifically, it was written during the time when the Maratha Empire was fighting the Islamic Sultanates in central India. I wanted to learn more about the Maratha Empire , which led me to my third Wiki...

I began my Wikipedia trail on Narada , an important sage in Hinduism and the main character for a story for my project. I wanted to learn more about Narada in the Mahabharata, and the Wikipedia page explained how Narada was capable of arriving at specific conclusions with wealth, devotion, and religion. Narada was intelligent and had a powerful memory, harboring knowledge of all of the universe and everything surrounding it. Specifically, Narada was capable of answering Brihaspati. This led my to my second Wikipeda page on Brihaspati . Brihaspati is a Vedic era sage who counsels the gods, but medieval texts portray him as Jupiter. He was important in teaching both Bhishma and Vidura the duties of a king. In astrology, Birhaspati is part of the Navagraha in the Hindu zodiac system. This led me to my third Wikipedia page on Navagraha , which are the nine important heavenly bodies in Hinduism. These celestial objects are told to influence life on Earth. Furthermore, specific planets, such...

 I'm happy with my progress so far! I feel most proud of becoming comfortable with writing stories. Originally, I was pretty hesitant and felt a little anxious. But now I really enjoy it! I've been doing the Check-In and Connect as well as the Wikipedia Trails, and I've recently started doing extra comments because I enjoy reading other students' stories. In terms of developing the blog and website, they've both worked out to my expectations. Looking forward, I hope to continue my routine and keep working consistently on the class. I don't want to fall behind, but I've been doing a good job of keeping up with the work.  If not now, when? Source: Wikimedia

 Overall, I've received high-quality feedback from my peers. These comments help me focus in on details that were appreciated by readers, and the critiques allow me to improve my writing and be conscious of any potential mistakes I may make when telling another story. The feedback also inspires me to be more creative and re-read over my work. By reviewing over what I've read and considering previous comments, I've been able to improve my style of writing. I believe I've given good feedback to my peers as well. I aim to be specific with what I like and offer ideas to take the next stories in different creative directions. As I analyze other people's writings, I get new ideas on how I can re-tell a story and what things I should try. The blog comments on introductory pages make it easy and convenient to learn more about my peers and connect with others. Looking forward, I don't plan on changing any specifics with my comment wall or comment style. I allow myself to...

 The reading and writing assignments have been working well for me. I've established a good routine to keep up with the work, and I've gotten better at reading as the class has progressed. I can read more diligently, and my reading notes are more focused on storytelling than general plot notes. I can also find stories that I want to re-tell really easily, and I feel comfortable writing stories. I'm happy with the way my blog and project website looks, and I've been satisfied with my writing style. I found that I like to keep the theme and central plot points consistent and change the characters as well as the environment. I want to convey the same message but in different ways. Overall, I feel like I've been improving and growing as a reader and a writer. I've thoroughly enjoyed the class so far, and I look forward to working more on telling stories and completing my project! Looking forward, I aim to keep my routine up and finish my project with more interestin...

There once was a family of four brother monkeys living in a jungle. Green and flourishing, the jungle trees provided the monkeys a home and delicious source of food. From figs to bananas, they were always surrounded by fruit. However, one year, the rain never came; the sky was clear with not a cloud in sight. The sun shone harshly as the jungle trees wilted away. The monkeys, yearning for some sweet fruit, searched far and wide for a surviving fruit tree. With growling stomachs, they finally stumbled upon the last golden treasure in the entire jungle: a banana tree with ripe bananas. The youngest monkey leaped forward to grab a banana when a booming voice asserted:   “Stop! This tree is mine. Don’t touch it until you answer my questions. After answering, take all the bananas you please.”   The youngest monkey looked up and saw a small, colorful parrot. Unintimidated, the monkey ignored the bird’s request and went to grab a banana. As his hand reached...

 These reading notes are over Part D of Narayan's Mahabharata , which is written by R.K. Narayan. Plot Notes: I found it interesting how the Mahabharata went into such detail on the preparation for war as well as the logistics. It demonstrates that this epic didn't just convey a story of great narrative importance but also of geopolitical value. This war between the Pandavas and Duryodhana was really significant, and the details allow us, the readers, to envision the logistics and work put in to fight the war in the first place. From Krishna damming a river for water to Yudhishthira marching ahead of the troops, all were involved in the upcoming battle. Yudhishthira's action before the battle provides another example of his virtue and nobility in both peace and war. He crossed the battlefield, took off his armor, and showed respect for his elders and master before commencing war. Although justice and Krishna were on his side, Yudhishthira's actions demonstrate how much ...

  These reading notes are over Part C of Narayan's Mahabharata , which is written by R.K. Narayan. Plot Notes: The nobility and righteousness of the Pandavas are consistently shown throughout the epic. The Pandavas' willingness to help free Duryodhana from imprisonment demonstrates how valuable family was to this. Yudhistira's line on how they are brothers and can not be abandoned really demonstrated the virtues of the Pandavas. The power of Bhima and Arjuna is also shown when they save Duryodhana, as Indra himself told the gandharvas to take him prisoner to teach him a lesson. I really enjoyed the story of the voice in the lake. The idea of thirst motivating all the brothers to ignore the yaksha was really interesting, and the overall story demonstrated how each brother responds to threats. Both Nakula and Sahadeva were driven by thirst to heed the warning and died. Arjuna responded with rage when he saw his dead brothers, but he failed to properly listen and died in drink...

 I began my Wikipedia Trail on Vyasa , who was both the author of the Mahabharata and an important character. I wanted to read up more on who he was and what he accomplished during his life. Vyasa lived near the banks of Ganga near what is now known as Uttarakhand. His Wikipedia page mentioned that this area was also home to the sage Vasishtha , who I had never heard of. This led me to my second Wikipedia page on Vasishtha, one of the oldest and most revered Vedic rishis. He and his family are mentioned in many Vedic texts, including the Rigveda. Furthermore, Vasishtha is credited for writing Mandala 7 of the Rigveda. Although I had heard of the Rigveda, I was interested in learning more about it. This led me to my third Wikipedia page on the Rigveda . The Rigveda is ancient collection of Sanskrit hymns, and it's one of the oldest texts of any Indo-European languages. The dating of the texts were difficult, but some scholars consider it to be written around 1200-1000 BCE in the Kur...

 What is Myth? The video noted that there are a variety of different versions of a specific myth, and I've noticed that throughout our class. Although this can make studying myths difficult, it's invaluable in showing how storytelling evolves over time. One narrative can take so many different forms and shift the focus, which makes the story a lot more fluid. Rather than a rigid, defined structure, this malleable nature of mythology makes it fascinating. It's crazy to think that we don't necessarily know the true authors of these stories, but we've been telling them for so long. Even the authors we know could be re-telling stories that were long forgotten. It shows just how impactful storytelling can be, as it can span across time and the conveyed ideas can be constantly re-imagined.  I had never considered how broad and vague the term "myth" can be until this video, and it's a bit surprising. We definitely use the word as a synonym to mean untrue, bu...